The Infinite Sides of Bob Dylan

by Rhapsody
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September 12, 2012

So your Uncle Bob has a new album out, Tempest, his billionth, whereupon he regales us with reams of tough-guy sweet talk and rhymes "Charlotte" with "harlot" and croaks like he's got Tom Waits stuck in his throat and generally paints the town with his singular combination of apocalyptic cynicism and cheerful ribaldry. It's dense and perplexing and, as usual, a very distinct kind of awesome. There is no mother to his style, that Bob Dylan. Here, then, is a brief tribute to the man, including a full album guide -- no, seriously, every studio album -- playlists running down the best songs on his worst records and the best Dylan covers from African-American artists, a deep dive into his paralyzing catalog of bootlegs and reissues, and, of course, a closer look at Tempest itself. Get comfortable. He sure is.